1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates generally to robotics, and more specifically to robotic manipulator selection.
2. Related Art
In the design of robots that are intended by their designers to perform tasks or operations of the type usually done by people, it is problematic to provide an artificial hand which can grasp, hold, maneuver or otherwise manipulate the many shapes, sizes, weights, and densities of objects that are readily manipulated by the human hand. An example of this problem can be observed in chemical laboratories where such diverse tasks as removing and replacing caps on jars, grasping, lifting, operating syringes, handling, or transferring contents from many different sizes and styles of beakers, test tubes or other containers, may each require a set of particular hand actions that are difficult to achieve with an electro-mechanical assembly.
In the past it has been the practice of engineers and designers to place a great deal of emphasis on the design of mechanisms that can do as many of the functions that might be to be required of a particular robot in a particular installation. This design approach adds complexity and significant expense as any particular assembly is unlikely to be suitable for a wide-range of desired tasks.
As a result of the problems and expense of attempting to create individual mechanisms that can perform a wide-range of tasks, some designers have developed interchangeable tools. In one example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,488,241 introduces and describes a system with interchangeable robotic hands that can receive feedback from each hand.
In another example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,543,032 introduces and describes interchangeable tools for a gripper of an object manipulator. The retention technique uses a self-releasing detent supplemented by frictional forces produced by the gripper to enable a fast and efficient reconfiguration of the finger tools.
In a further example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,611,377 introduces and describes a system with interchangeable end-of-arm tools for performing multiple tasks. The system includes a quick change adapter.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,256,128 introduces and describes a gripper exchange mechanism for small robots. A bi-stable latch is provided which minimizes the force required to latch and unlatch the end effectors, thereby providing an end effector exchange mechanism useful for small robots capable of producing relatively small operating forces.
Despite the introduction and development of robotic systems with interchangeable tools and mechanisms, further improvements and cost reductions are desired to accelerate the deployment and marketability of automated electro-mechanical devices to consumers.